NATCHEZ — Officials gathered Wednesday to break ground on a recreation facility they said they hoped would inspire positive community development around local youth.

The groundbreaking for two full basketball courts and two half courts was at Liberty Park, and will complement the planned pool and multi-purpose fields in the area, Magnolia Bluffs Casino and Hotel President Kevin Preston said.

The courts are being built using money from Magnolia Bluffs’ community development fund, but will be maintained by the Natchez-Adams County Recreation Commission and overseen by the YMCA, Preston said.

Joining the groundbreaking was former NBA superstar Dominique Wilkins, the basketball Hall of Famer who was the two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner.

The concrete courts will be Dominique Wilkins Signature Sport Courts. Preston said he was able to get the signature courts in Natchez because he and Wilkins have known each other for many years.

Wilkins, who grew up playing on concrete courts, said his life has always been about giving back. When he was young, an older player taught him the game, saying he wanted Wilkins to learn from it.

“He said to me, ‘The only thing I want is for you to give to someone what I gave to you,’” Wilkins said. “I always wanted to use what I was doing in basketball to do something bigger.”

The something bigger with the courts is “my way of having parents re-engage with their kids by having their own backyard neighborhood courts,” he said. “They bring people together, make a safe haven, for children.”

Preston said that at a time when Natchez has seen several instances of significant youth violence, the groundbreaking was “bigger than just a basketball court for the community.”

“With these courts, with recreation, if it helps the area, the kids in the community, it will be worth it,” Preston said.

Mayor Darryl Grennell, who presented Wilkins with a key to the city and an honorary citizenship, said Natchez is is on a mission, “and our mission is to save young people.

“They are our future,” he said.

Preston said he has discussed with Wilkins the possibility of using the courts for a national 3-on-3 basketball tournament.